On the afternoon of April 3, 2012, I got the phone call that I had been waiting for. My BDCo co-workers were no doubt amused when I emerged from my office to announce that I was now a “puppy Mama”. Earlier that morning, the puppy that was destined to become mine had been born.
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Fast forward to May 31st and I am driving to the Sacramento airport after work to take delivery of one small black Scottish Terrier boy. At 10:15 pm, I arrive at cargo and submit my paperwork and ID. A small plastic crate is handed over the counter to me. I look inside and there he is – a tiny black puppy standing on his hind legs leaning against the gate of his kennel and calmly looking me dead in the eye.
Since it had been a long day for us both, we checked into a nearby hotel and settled in for the night. In the morning, we headed home stopping only briefly to pick up my dog Blue from his overnight with my friends Sophie Beth and Charles. As usual, Blue was overjoyed to see me when I returned. Then he spotted the puppy that we were all exclaiming over and the next thing I knew, I had a 45 pound Schnauzer climbing into my lap and burrowing his head into my chest (something that he does when he is feeling insecure).
For the first week, Blue would not look at the puppy or otherwise acknowledge his presence, even going as far so making sure that his backside was always pointed at the puppy when they were in the same room. Along about day eight, the puppy (now christened “Rowdy” Mac Duff) had had enough of being ignored. One morning, the little guy marched right over to where Blue was chewing on his purple octopus toy and grabbed on to one of the tentacles. Blue let out a deep throaty growl. The puppy growled back in falsetto and tugged on the toy. Blue growled again and shook the toy. The puppy growled and hung on, terrier that he is, as the toy swung back and forth. I held my breath and resisted the urge to grab up the puppy and punish Blue.
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It is now a several weeks later. Blue and “Rowdy” are becoming great pals. It is amusing to see Rowdy boss Blue, who is roughly nine times his weight, around. I have laughed more in the last month than I have in the last year. And, once again, there is in my household and I somehow feel that my four late Scotties are smiling big doggie grins up in heaven.